Robust Security Energy Efficiency Optimization for RIS-Aided Cell-Free Networks with Multiple Eavesdroppers

In this paper, we investigate the energy efficiency (EE) problem under reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-aided secure cell-free networks, where multiple legitimate users and eavesdroppers (Eves) exist. We formulate a max-min security EE optimization problem by jointly designing the distributed active beamforming and artificial noise at base stations as well as the passive beamforming at RISs under practical constraints. To deal with it, we first divide the original optimization problem into two sub-ones, and then propose an iterative optimization algorithm to solve each sub-problem based on the fractional programming, constrained concave-convex procedure (CCCP) and semi-definite programming (SDP) techniques. After that, these two sub-problems are alternatively solved until convergence, and the final solutions are obtained. Next, we extend to the imperfect channel state information of the Eves’ links, and investigate the robust security EE beamforming optimization problem by bringing the outage probability constraints. Based on this, we first transform the uncertain outage probability constraints into the certain ones by the Bernstein-type inequality and sphere boundary techniques, and then propose an alternatively iterative algorithm to obtain the solutions of the original problem based on the S-procedure, successive convex approximation, CCCP, and SDP techniques. Finally, the simulation results are conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.